Wire polisher



WIRE POLISHER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 25, 1962 INVENTOR Samuel W Mc Clemens Sept 20, 1966 s, w. MccLEMl-:Ns

WIRE POLI SHER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed OOL. 25, 1962 INVENTOR.

Samuel W Mc Clemens United States Patent O 3,273,190 WmE POLISHER Samuel W. McClemens, Holsopple, Pa., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Bethlehem Steel Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 23, 1962, Ser. No. 232,486 3 Claims. '(Cl. 15104.04)

This invention relates broadly to an improved device for polishing wire and more specifically to a device for polishing wire coated by either hot dip or electrolytic methods.

A modern production line for the manufacture of electrolytic coated wire may comprise a number of parallel strands of wire pulled through a series `of tanks arranged in consecutive end to end relationship and designed to clean, pickle and electrolytically plate a thin coating of copper, nickel, tin, lead, chromium, zinc, cadmium, etc., either singly or in various combinations. It is known that these thin coatings may be porous which can impair the corrosion resistance of the finished product. See article on Electroplated Metal Coatings on pages 716-719 of the 1948 Edition of Metals Handbook published by the American Society for Metals.

It is also known that the dull appearance of both plain and coated material may be improved by some method of abrading, burnishing or working in order to produce a clean polished surface. There are many methods for accomplishing this result such as by drawing the wire through a die or a box of sand. Considerable control is required when drawing coated wire through a die and it is not at all uncommon for the coating to be completely removed when the hole in the die is slightly undersize. Sharp particles of sand are likely t-o cut through a thin coating and destroy its effectiveness, particularly if sharp sand is held against the moving Wire under pressure. Since the sand is always in a random arrangement of irregularly shaped particles it is difficult to obtain `a completely uniform product in the long runs encountered in a high speed, continuous operation.

None of the prior polishing methods will mechanically work the surface of the coating to a degree suflicient to close up minor porosity and at the same time be gentle enough to avoid stripping portions of the coating from the wire.

The primary yobject of the present invention is to provide a means for uniformly polishing wire which will avoid the difficulties inherent in prior polishing practices.

Another object is to provide a means for uniformly polishing coated wire which will lightly work the coated surface to close up minor imperfections in the coated surface in `order to reduce porosity.

Another object of this invention is to provide a means for varying the pressure of the polishing components against the wire.

Still another -object of this invention is to provide a polishing device in which the wire is easily threadable within a plurality of polishing components.

It is still another object to provide a means for polishing wire which is self-cleansing.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the description of a particular embodiment of a wire polisher incorporating the novel features of this invention.

It has been found that it is possible to polish a moving wire through numerous points of contact with the outside of at least one coil spring wrapped around the wire. The pressure on the points of Contact is controllable so as to lightly work the surface and close-up minor porosity without any tendency to remove a thin corrosion resistant coating. The improved polishing device of this invention 3,273,190 Patented Sept. 2 0, 1966 ice would be most beneficially locatedjust after plating and prior to coiling in an in-line process for finishing wire. In order to simplify the following disclosure, the device will be described with reference to three resilient coil springs which constitute the preferred embodiment of the invention.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention:

FIG. 1 shows the location of the wire polisher in a schematic arrangement of the end of a zinc-coated wire production line.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the rotatable member and its slotted support incorporating two means of adjusting spring tension.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the same rotatable member, and support shown in FIG. 2 showing means for holding the rotatable member in a variety of adjusted positions.

FIG. 4 is a view of the oppositely positioned support showing the arrangement of the three spring holders about an opening.

FIG. 5 is a top view showing the springs and wire prior to wrapping the springs about the wire.

FIG. 6 is a top view of a modification showing twd supports and one spring wrapped around the wire.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, lthe supports 13 and 14 for the three resilient coil springs 10, 11, 12 of this polishing device comprise a cylindrical member 15 rotatably mounted in plate 28 and a plate 16 anchored to the bottom of the open rectangular tank 17 in a parallel spaced apart relationship. The supports 13, 14 are adjustably anchored by means of bolts in slotted holes 19 to permit shifting the supports 13, 14 toward or away from each other in a direction parallel to the wire. Each of the two supports 13, 14 is shown equipped with three hooks 18 for attaching the opposite ends of each of the three springs 10, 11, 12 in a triangular fashion about the aligned holes 20 in the supports 13, 14. The length of the unstressed springs 10, 11, 12 should be less than the distance between the opposed hooks 18 so that attaching the springs to the hooks will result in opening spaces between the individual coils and hold the springs straight, parallel and away from the path of the wire. The size of the holes 20 is not critical but should be large enough to provide clearance for the largest wire intended to be processed. The perimeter of the rotatable member 15 is provided with notches 23 to cooperate with a pivoted latch 24 in holding the member 15 in a variety of adjusted positions.

The wire 25 coming from the chromic acid -bath 26 is threaded through the holes 20 in member 15 and plate 16 and attached to the take-up reel 27 which provides the power to draw the wire 25 through the entire production line. The springs 10, 11, 12 are wrapped around the wire 25 by rotating the member 15, said member being locked in the desired position lby latch 24. The tank 17 is filled with a lubricant.

The polish obtained on the wire 25 may be varied by changing the pressure on the points of contact between the springs 10, 11, 12 and the wire 25 by adjustments of the rotatable member .15 or by changing the location of the supports 13, 14 in a direction parallel to the path `of the wire. Both adjustments change the tension of the springs. Additional variations in the pressure on the points of contact are .possible through substitution of stronger or weaker springs. Variations in finish will also result from the use of different oils, fats, soaps and waxes as lubricants. The preferred lubricant is a water soluble wax.

FIG. 6 illustrates a simplifier modification of the invention employing only a single spring 10. In this form of the invention, the supports 13 and 14 are offset on each side of the wire 25, each support having a single hook 18 thereon. Adjustment of the `spring tension is effected by moving the supports 13 and 14 toward or aw-ay from each other.

The separation of adjacent coils of each spring provides self` cleansing openings whichA keep the springs free of contamination which might impair the eiciency of the polisher.

It has been found that the use of this invention results in the production of a superior surface on both coated and bare wire, and also reduces the porosity of the coating on coated wire. The springs readily adjust to changes in thickness due to variations in the wire or coating, which will eliminate any possibility of excessively cold working the Wire or stripping the coating from the Wire.

The preceding description indicates how the use of resilient coil springs will provide a self cleansing wire polisher which is capable of adjustment in the production of polished wire. It will fbe understood that modifica- -tion and Variations may be effected without departing -fr-om the novel concepts of the present invention.

' I claim:

1. An apparatus for polishing w-ire continuously moving in a longitudinal direction, said apparatus comprismg:

(a) ,a pair of supports, spaced longitudinally along f 'andofset from the axis of said wire,

(b) a coil spring, the unstressed length of which is less than the distance between said supports, said spring being stretched and held in tension between said supports and helically wrapped at least once completely around said wire, the outside of said spring being in contact with said wire.

2. An apparatus for polishing Wire continuously moving in a longitudinal direction, said apparatus comprismg:

(a) a pair of supports, spaced longitudinally along and offset from the axis of said wire, (b) a plurality of coil springs, the unstressed length of each of which Iis less than the distance between said supports, said springs being stretched and held in tension between said supports, and helically wrapped at least once completely around said wire, the outside of said springs being in contact with said wire.

3. An apparatus for polishing wire continuously moving in a longitudinal direct-ion, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a pair of supports, spaced longitudinally along and offset from the aXis of said wire,

(b) a plurality of coil springs, the unstressed length of each of which -is less than the distance between said supports, said springs being stretched and held in tension between said supports,

(c) means for helically wrapping said springs at least once completely around said Wire to provide numerous points lof contact with said wire.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 478,824 7/ 1892 Shostak 15-104.04 1,145,966 7/1915 Bergmann 15-104.04 1,192,984 8/1916 Brui 15-104.04 2,037,421 4/ 1936 Littler 134-9 2,178,912 111/1939 Leahey 51-150 2,213,923 9/ 1940 Stuart et a1. 15-104.04 X 2,247,547 7/ 1941 Fearn 118-125 2,248,663 7/1941 Flynn 118-125 2,471,580 5/ 1949 Perrault et al.

2,637,056 5/1953 Morain 15-88 2,732,322 1/1956 Murray 134-9 2,793,144 5/ 1957 Crowley 134-9 3,061,721 10/1962 Brenner 15-104.04 X

MORRIS O. WOLK, Primary Examiner.

I. ZATARGA, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR POLISHING WIRE CONTINUOUSLY MOVING IN A LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: (A) A PAIR OF SUPPORTS, SPACED LONGITUDINALLY ALONG AND OFFSET FROM THE AXIS OF SAID WIRE, (B) A COIL SPRING, THE UNSTRESSED LENGTH OF WHICH IS LESS THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID SUPPORTS, SAID SPRING BEING STRETCHED AND HELD IN TENSION BETWEEN SAID SUPPORTS AND HELICALLY WRAPPED AT LEAST ONCE COMPLETELY AROUND SAID WIRE, THE OUTSIDE OF SAID SPRING BEING IN CONTACT WITH SAID WIRE. 